i don't really do crafts involving fabrics (i'll buy a sewing machine one day, but now... it's just too expensive), but maybe the fabrics sold in france are of better quality anyway, you may be able to find cheaper fabrics outside of paris, on those big prefabricated stores in the commercial zones with stores such as Gifi, La foir' fouilles... (tell me if i'm not making myself clear).

Have you ever tried Loisirs et Créations? Bet you won't leave the store of there empty handed! It's often a little on the expensive side though - but it can give you plenty of ideas. One of the Gibert Joseph stores on the Bd Saint Michel is devoted to crafts.

I aslo discovered a VERY nice crafts shop and workshop only last week. Rue Saint Ambroise in the 11th arrondissement. Just across the street from the LNS "La Gare des boutons", which is 30 rue Saint Ambroise.

Great! Thanks Mercredi and E-zabelle for the names of the craft stores. I mainly sew but there's probably no craft I'll pass up. And I just found out today I was too late to register my children for the Centre de Loisirs this summer... .SO we will have a CRAFT FIELDTRIP! I will teach them that CRAFTING WITH MOMMY IS FUN!!! They will have to repeat this 100 times to ensure the festivity.

I didn't know you could haggle at Montmatre! I guess that's not something they would post on the walls though.

And how do you haggle the fabric? Do you ask them before they cut it if you can get a better price? The places I went to one person would cut it and then another person was out the checkout counter. I need tutoring!